Ni Nuit Ni Jour
Raffut Collectif, 2024
9/10
A French quartet with a penchant for folk and experimental ideas, these 12 songs are as diverse as they are distinct.
“Réveillez-vous” opens the listen with Clémence Baillot d'Estivaux’s expressive singing alongside Clémentine Ristord’s elegant clarinet for the soft opening of eloquence, and “Marguerite” follows with Benjamin Garson’s dreaming guitar complementing the poetic pipes of the intimate landscape.
Further along, “Les transformations” takes on a mesmerizing mood via Pierre-Antoine Despatures’ sophisticated contra bass that suits Bruno Ducret’s heartfelt singing, while “Lá-haut dedans la tour” emits much ambience amid an atypical droning and Baillot d'Estivaux’s pretty singing.
Later on, “Le jardin des amours” uses agile string bowing, calm guitar and flawless singing to its advantage, and “Songez á votre monde” exits with a backdrop of mystery that illuminates the cultured vocals.
A body of work that’s inspired by La Nóvia, Pagans or Hart Brut and that tells stories of love, violence and freedom, every moment here is filled with intrigue and gracefulness.
Travels well with: tellKujira- tellKujira; Lovataraxx- Sophomore